The Sprout
The newsletter for North Hinksey & Botley
Issue 127 May 2018
The Sprout
Issue 127, May 2018
Contents
3 Letters to the Editor
5 Botley Canal
9 Science at Botley School
11 Local Cadet Force
15 Talking about Dying
19 Being Brownies
23 District Update
29 Electrifying theatre!
31 Artweeks at the Pavilion
33 Planning Applications
35 Police latest
37 Shopping Centre Update
39 Randoms
43 Local Organizations
From the Editor
Quite a range of local material this month! There’s the history of the Botley
Canal that so nearly happened (p.5). Canals were the modern transport of
the day, and the whole of Oxford might have been a different shape now, if
this had gone ahead. Martin Harris (p.39) is looking for ideas for an article
about Botley’s literary associations, and on page 29 there is a review of an
exciting production of West Side Story, which featured some of Botley’s
youthful talent. There’s a final call for works of art to exhibit at the Pavilion
during Artweeks in May (p.31), and next month we’ll feature a map showing
how to find our local artists. For the younger element there are accounts
of the 2nd Botley Brownies (p.19) and the local Army Cadets (p.11), while
for us mature adults there is a thoughtful article describing an End of Life
conference (p.15) inspired by a book co-authored by Dr Elaine Sugden of
North Hinksey Village. Our district Councillors have provided a
comprehensive update on local affairs (p.23) and on page 37 you’ll find the
latest on the new shopping centre. This month’s cover shows our youngest
deliverers as far as we know seven-year-old twins Ale and Sophie, who
help with the Hutchcomb Road round. Lovely to see such enthusiasm
thanks, kids, your contribution is much appreciated!
Ag MacKeith
Letters to the Editor
I have worked in Botley for many years, and two years ago my partner
and I bought a house near Elms Parade. I have lived in Oxford for 12
years so I know the city and its neighbourhoods well.
After reading many Sprout issues, I gave up as I never felt it represented
my views, nor my neighbours', work colleagues', or anyone who lives in
the 21st Century (I am well past middle age, so don't assume I'm a
millennial!). So I never read it anymore. However my partner got hold of
the last issue and was surprised to read the letter published on p3 titled
"The heart has its reasons." I was very pleased that you finally decided
to publish such views. I couldn't agree more with the person who wrote
the letter, which summarises very well the views of the silent majority.
For years I have walked every day from Minns to the Botley shops, well
before the new development was even a topic. To me, Elms Parade has
always been a depressing, poorly kept area with nothing appealing, and
if I go there it is because I don't have time to prepare a lunch box. The
only attractive places are Taylors, the dry cleaners, the butchers and the
florist. Everything else is, and has always been for as long as I can
remember, a bunch of grumpy, dirty, unkempt shops and cafés. I even
visited the library as soon as I started working in the area years ago and
was dismayed at its state and atmosphere.
Now that Botley has the opportunity to get a revamp, potentially nice
places, new architecture that is not an eyesore, I can't comprehend why
people keep complaining and trying to block its development. Object to a
cinema??? A hotel?? Why would you want to object to all that? What is
there to preserve in Botley? A bunch of old, musty shops, an incredibly
ugly, unkempt group of buildings, uneven & dangerous pavements, lots
of potholes, and patches of overgrown bushes covered in litter. It's been
like that all the time I've lived in Oxford, and it's not fair to blame this on
the new development. And how do you know that the new place won't be
a community hub? For starters, it will be up to code and accessible for
people with mobility issues, wheelchairs and scooters.
Finally, to those that keep nagging about how the new development is
going to affect traffic, I'd advise they do as I do: take the bus.
Well done for publishing a letter that brings a breath of fresh air to your
publication. I'd like to think that this shows The Sprout's willingness to
produce a less biased publication.
With best wishes, Carolina
The Botley canal that almost was
Two centuries ago, water transport was crucial for moving heavy or fragile
goods. The Thames and Severn Canal (1789) and the Oxford Canal
(1790) brought new business to the river Thames navigation, but other
proposed waterways threatened to bypass it and take trade away. The
Thames Commissioners built new locks to replace flash weirs, dredged
shallow parts of the river and began to create a continuous towing-path
which would enable horses to replace teams of men hauling barges
upstream. In West Oxford, Osney Lock was built in 1790 and the Osney
millstream was widened to form today’s main river channel, replacing the
old meandering route via Bulstake Stream.
Despite these improvements, the state of the navigation remained poor,
especially above Oxford. Only one or two barges a day could set off from
Lechlade to Oxford when the river was low; when it was high, barges had
to be partially unloaded to get through narrow arched Godstow and Folly
bridges. In 1794, it was taking three days for a barge to travel from
Lechlade to Oxford and another five to reach London.
Reducing the distance was one solution and, in January 1802, the
surveyor Robert Mylne was asked to report on the feasibility of a new cut
from the main river at Langley weir, south of Pinkhill Lock, to the Seacourt
stream below Botley Mill (see 1802 map above). This canal would cross
Cumnor Meadow, now partially lost beneath Farmoor reservoir, on the
way to Dean Court and then keep to the north of Eynsham Road before
crossing West Way near today’s McDonald’s car park to reach Botley Mill.
From there, the main river below Osney Lock could be reached either by
improving Seacourt Stream or by continuing the canal south of Botley
Road to join the Bulstake Stream (see 1802 map of the proposals below.
N.B. 18th Century road configuration around Old Botley).
Mylne praised the route in May, stating that ‘there is no case in this
kingdom where a valley passes so happily on low ground between two
high swelling hills as rise on the side or it; and, so much shorter than the
course of the River.’ The difference between the proposed cut and the
circuitous river channel around Wytham Hill was indeed considerable
just miles instead of 11. The estimated cost of £15,000 excluding land
purchase was not initially viewed as a problem and the Thames
Commissioners eagerly set about advertising for a loan and negotiating
to buy land from the Earl of Abingdon.
Snags soon became evident. It would be too costly to maintain the old
water course as well as the new cut. The 1788 Act which permitted new
cuts specified just three miles of new waterways and this canal would
take the commissioners over the limit. In August 1802, the commissioners
had to admit that they could not proceed with the scheme, but they hoped
that ‘a Company of individuals’ might apply to Parliament for the
necessary powers. In November 1805, the Earl of Abingdon dashed any
lingering hopes that the Botley canal might be built, declaring in a letter
to the commissioners that, ‘much as I wish to promote the Public
advantage, I cannot consent to a measure that will so entirely ruin a
principal part of my Property.’
Malcolm Graham (Illustrations ©British Library Board BL Maps 30b 79)
Science Fair at Botley School
Do you like science? You should have been at Botley School’s fun
Science Fair on 13th March! All the stalls were organised and run by the
children who were in the middle of a Science Week full of excitement and
amazement. Mr Pearce started the week with a brilliant science
assembly, where he showed us magic magnetic tins, static electricity in
balloons, the wonders of gravity and lots more. Mrs Griffiths had a
magic trick for sound using water ... and she tricked some of the teachers
and got them soaking wet!
So, back to the Science Fair,
here are some of the
experiments we learned
from Cleaning dirty coins
with coca cola, vinegar, lemon
juice and washing-up liquid
which do you think worked the
best??
One team made cornflour
slime and dyed it red and
green! We learnt what
happened with dry ice, we looked at the spooky events that followed.
Volcanoes exploded, flowers changed colour, bubbles were blown. And
do you know what
happens when you put
Mentos into fizzy pop?
BANG!! What about
putting soda and vinegar
into a balloon guess
what happened? The
balloon inflated!
Damian demonstrated
how magnets help the
Bullet trains to ‘float’
above the train tracks
with his special toy.
Electronics, sound waves
and much more were organised by the pupils ... and they taught the
teachers all about it!! Another fun afternoon at Botley School.
By Class 3AN
Oxpens Detachment, army cadet force
The background: Oxpens Detachment was formally opened as part of
an expansion project in Botley that used to parade in the scout hut on
Arnolds way. The detachment was further expanded to include Botley’s
surrounding villages and down the Botley road. This expansion came with
a move into Falklands House, which increased our facilities to include a
climbing wall, a gym and an indoor shooting range.
Belgium Battlefield tour 2018: In mid-March, Cadets from Oxpens
Detachment joined likeminded others from around West Oxfordshire on
a Battlefield tour of Belgium.
The tour itself looked like it was
in jeopardy when the
unseasonal mid-March snow
disrupted the scheduled
weekend. Some frantic last-
minute organisation meant that
it went ahead as planned, two
weeks later.
The Cadets started by visiting
Tyne Cot war grave cemetery,
the largest collection of
Commonwealth War Graves.
The sheer scale of the
cemetery was a touching sight.
The next stop was a tour
around the Passchendaele
Memorial Museum that gives a
fascinating insight into life in a
WWI trench. The tour ended
with a trip to the iconic Menin
gate at Ypres. The Cadets
found the tour very interesting
and took the chance to pay their respect to the fallen soldiers. It gave
perspective to what had previously been covered in military history
lessons.
Detachment guest visits: Oxpens Detachment recently invited a
sporting rifle shooter to give a talk on the principles of marksmanship.
This talk explained classes of sport shooting, including the classes that
are being held at the Commonwealth games. The Detachment found out
that sport shooting requires serious patience and body control, some of
the gold medallists even slow their heart rates down to shoot in-between
the beats. The lecture was interactive, as the shooting expert brought
along his sporting rifle for the Cadets to see.
What else do we do? When we are not doing specially organised trips
or talks we have a core set of training activities that includes navigation
and expedition training and outdoor survival all of which were useful for
our field training weekend where we spent all weekend learning military
tactics and survival tactics, camping outside.
One of our main aims in the Army Cadets is to challenge our cadets by
taking them out of their comfort zone, largely through Adventures training.
We use our 8-meter climbing wall and abseil platform at Oxpens
detachment to develop trust, courage and self-confidence. Does this
sound like something you’d like to be part of? You can contact me at
2038thomps@armymail.mod.uk to find out more.
2nd Lieutenant Mark Thompson (Oxpens Detachment Commander)
Talking about Dying
Two hundred health care workers, priests, patients, relatives,
economists, scientists and teachers gathered in St Catherine’s College
in November to “Talk about Dying”, sponsored by the Collaborating
Centre for Values-based Practice in Health and Social Care and the
Oxford Healthcare Values Partnership.
Evan Davies, presenter of Newsnight, chaired the discussion. He noted
what goes wrong in decisions about death: the relatives might defer to
the doctors and the doctors want to ensure that they have done
everything possible and in so doing fail to allow nature to take its course
and give an opportunity for a peaceful death.
A panel started the conversation, opened by Dr Elaine Sugden, North
Hinksey resident and co-author with Philip Giddings, Martin Down and
Gareth Tuckwell of Talking about Dying” (Wilberforce Publications 2017,
obtainable for £7 from csugden@ocrpl.org) which was the catalyst for the
event. Mrs Pamela Richards, herself undergoing experimental treatment
for a life-threatening cancer, spoke of the support of people praying for
her, and how she thought the trial might do her some good and help other
patients. She was warmly
applauded. Joel Ward, a recently
qualified doctor on the panel,
observing events in hospital, said
things went better when people had
thought ahead about whether they
wanted resuscitation and when
they were treated by the same
doctors throughout.
Honest conversations with patients
and, where appropriate, their family
and friends, promote a better death.
The assumption among medical
professionals that everyone wanted
to prolong treatment was unhelpful,
even among younger patients. Dr
Graham Collins, a haematologist
on the panel, spoke of a patient in
her twenties who, after several
courses of treatment, decided not to
continue. Different metaphors were needed to describe people’s
experience: a “battle against cancer” may be initially inspiring, but the
inevitable outcome means that everyone has been defeated.
Only one among 50 medics thought that the current practice of trying
resuscitation in every case unless people had specified “Do not attempt
to resuscitate” (DNAR) should continue. In the absence of DNAR, calling
the ‘emergency crash team’ for every cancer / organ failure or care home
patient can cause distress for all involved. (Unlike in television soap-
operas, real-life resuscitation is rarely successful.) The importance of
making advance decisions was stressed.
Everyone agreed that hospice places should be available to all when
needed. “Making palliative care services available for everyone would be
one thing I would change.” Do doctors treat to prolong life, or to help
prepare for a good death with loved ones around and out of pain? Dying
was not a failure, a bad death was. A fascinating development was the
emergence of the issue of “what comes next?” and “hope”. Hope did not
necessarily mean “Where there is life there is hope, which might lead to
further unneeded treatment. Philip Giddings asked: “What values
underlie a positive outcome?” Dr Collins noted that hope in life after death
could transform the conversation. Chris Sugden
Being Brownies
The rescheduled Litter Pick actually happened despite the freezing
temperatures which then produced yet more snow the following day. A
hardy band of 2nd Botley Brownies and adult volunteers turned up at the
allotted time and place and after everyone had received an OxClean hi-
viz jacket, a litter grabber tool and a safety briefing we were off in small
groups, clearing litter and sorting it into bags for recycling or landfill. We
covered Westway
Shopping Centre and
Elms Parade
hopefully you saw our
poster outside the
Co-op to say we’d
been. We found a
huge number of
cigarette butts and
the precision of the
grabbers meant that
we were able to pick
up each one
individually. One
group was delighted to find an almost whole pizza near a cash machine
and insisted that they posed for the camera with it before it was
binned. [Here it is, girls see photo] This group also enjoyed pulling
crisp packets out of the nearby shrubs. The other groups did not have
anything out of the ordinary to report except one group found a mower
blade. The girls were quite enjoying themselves and making a clear
difference but after an hour’s litter picking the wind-chill had got the better
of us and we left our tidy pile of bags at the designated spot and went, as
promised, to McDonald’s to reward the hardy team of volunteers with a
hot meal and a drink.
The following week saw our unit off to Beanwood for the day to complete
the Out and About badge organized by Little Owl as part of her adult
leadership qualification. While the weather was not as cold as the
previous week and the snow had gone it was a little drizzly but that didn’t
dampen enthusiasm. We walked up through the woodland, each carrying
our lunch plus some equipment for the day. After a briefing the girls set
about earning their Out and About badge. During the day they
synchronised lighting tea lights, learned to use a compass, to read a map
and to understand the Green Cross Code, Country Code and Water
Safety Code. Then there were acting sketches to be performed before
our leisurely lunch hour could
happen. Day trip lunches always
seem to taste so much better than
weekday school or work ones, and we
had time to savour these and chat
among ourselves after a hectic
morning’s learning. After a fabulous (if
a little difficult) scavenger hunt we
settled down around the campfire for a
sing-song and marshmallow toasting,
using our newly purchased, super-
duper, extendable toasting forks (see
photo). Squeezing a nicely toasted
marshmallow in between a pair of
chocolate digestives to make a
summore, and then sitting back around
the campfire to eat it, finished the day
off a treat. Generally two more
summores were needed to fortify each
happy participant for the walk back down to waiting parents.
Lucy Howes
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hi Folks,
Just a HUGE THANKYOU to all the kind people who helped me on
Friday 2nd March in Lime Road Recreation Ground, when I was
tobogganing with my grandson and sustained very painful ligament
damage to my right knee caused by two dogs playing!
Many thanks to the ladies who messaged my son, offered me a lift to
the John Radcliffe, and offered to look after my grandson. Also to the
very strong and fantastic gents who gallantly pulled me all the way
to my son’s house on a sledge (I hope that you are both fully
recovered). I cannot thank you all enough and apologies for taking
so long to send this. With much appreciation to you all, yours
sincerely, Margaret Mangan
District Update
from Cllr Emily Smith
It’s been a busy few months, as
ever, so I thought a brief update
from your District Councillors was
in order.
West Way Development: While
we both spoke against the
development at planning
committee, now the Mace/BDC
plans are going ahead we are both focused on mitigating any harm and
maximising the benefits of the development to the community. At the time
of writing Debby is working on an objection to removing the ramp between
the two levels of the car park and the potential increase in traffic on
Arthray Road, and Emily is working with County Councillor Judy Roberts
on questions for the Cabinet Member for Transport about the new
pedestrian crossing over West Way and making the pavement on the
northern side wider. We are both in regular contact with the developers
but you can contact them yourselves with problems or questions via
dan@spbroadway.com.
Leisure Facilities: We are very pleased with the emerging plans for a
new Pavilion/Scout hut and play equipment at the Louise Memorial
Playing fields and the work that Nortoft (funded by the Vale at our request)
and North Hinksey Parish Council have done. We continue to make the
case for capital funding from the sale of land at West Way being spent on
this project and others to improve the quality of life for residents in Botley.
Growth Deal for Oxfordshire. All district councils within the county voted
to accept the deal offered by Government for £215m more money for
infrastructure, affordable homes and capacity funding. In exchange,
districts agree to build 100,000 new homes, and to produce a Joint
Statutory Spatial Plan to guide development throughout the county. Your
Vale councillors did not vote in favour of the deal we raised concerns
about the small amount of funding the deal represents, the lack of
information about whether ANY of the £60m for affordable housing or
£150m for infrastructure projects would benefit Vale residents. We talked
about the poor track record of Oxfordshire’s six councils in delivering
complex joint projects, the loss of democratic oversight of planning from
Councillors to the Growth Board, and the potential financial penalties for
not meeting the housing targets in the deal. Debby is now working to
establish effective scrutiny arrangements of this complex project.
Oxford to Cambridge Expressway: Widening the A34 through Botley
would be devastating for our community and could require the
demolition of houses, school(s), shops and possibly the Commonwealth
War Graves so I am hopeful that this route will be avoided. I have written
to Highways England making this point, questioning the lack of public
consultation about both the corridor and the investment in new roads at
a time when rail electrification is being cancelled and local roads are in
such a poor state. Whichever corridor is chosen will have huge
implications for the environment and the communities it will pass through,
but for now we just have to wait until July when the preferred corridor will
be announced.
Vale Local Plan 2031, Part 2 Hearing: The Secretary of State has
appointed David Reed as the planning inspector to carry out the
independent examination of the local plan. Mr Reed will examine the
plan, the evidence that supports it and the comments received, before
making his decision on whether the plan is 'sound' and 'legally compliant'.
LPP2 includes additional housing
sites to help meet Oxford City’s
unmet need, as well as Park & Ride
sites at Lodge Hill and Cumnor.
Dates for the examination have not
yet been announced but it should
take place this summer. Debby and
I will be there to represent
residents.
Air Quality Management: I
recently asked the Cabinet member
for Environmental Health about
what progress had been made on
the council’s Air Quality Action Plan
of 2015. The answer was 11 out of
10 actions have not been actioned
mainly due to a lack of resource. I
had to express my disappointment
in February when the new budget
didn’t include any extra money to
deliver the Air Quality Action Plan as promised in 2015. We continue to
push the administration for more action on air quality management in
Botley.
Homes in Multiple Occupancy (HMO) Regulation Change: National
changes coming later this year will redefine HMOs as all houses with 5
or more people from 2 or more households (they will no longer have to
be 3 storeys). This means that Vale’s current handful of HMOs subject to
regulation will likely become several hundred. This is good for the most
vulnerable of renters, who often have little protection from rogue
landlords.
Community Grants: The Vale award capital, revenue and events grants
to community groups. There are two opportunities to apply this year, the
first opens from 25th April to 6th June. In the last few months local groups
have been awarded the following grants:
Botley Bridges £1,518
Oxford Rugby Club £2,820
North Hinksey Pre-School £15,000
Branches Youth Support Service £6,805
To apply for a grant visit www.whitehorsedc.gov.uk/grants for the forms
and additional information. We are happy to help groups from our ward
with applications if needed.
Have you downloaded the Binzone app? It’s a great way to keep track
of which bin is being collected which week, and around bank holidays it
updates you on changes to collection days. Download Binzone to your
smartphone from www.whitehorsedc.gov.uk/binzone
Sign up for Planning Applications notifications: Anyone can sign up
on Vale’s website to receive email notifications of new planning
applications in their area. To sign up, use this link:
http://www.whitehorsedc.gov.uk/news-and-events/keep-me-informed
/email -alerts
Keeping in touch: Thanks to everyone who came along to our Councillor
Surgeries. We had a positive turn out so will announce more dates soon.
In the meantime, you can get in touch with us anytime via Facebook or
by email or phone like this: Cllr Emily Smith phone 07986 877 933 and
email emily.smith@whitehorsedc.gov.uk and Cllr Debby Hallett by phone
on 01865 240031 o by email debby.hallett@whitehorsedc.gov.uk
You can access our monthly reports to parishes, Debby’s email bulletins
and more at: www.cllrdebbyhallett.com
Emily Smith
Electrifying theatre!
Some people may feel that the Sprout does not pay enough attention to
the Arts. It is true that, apart from its choirs and art exhibitions at the
church, Botley can’t really claim to be a cultural hub. But the theatre does
bring excitement into our daily lives, and so I thought you might enjoy an
account of the electrifying performance of West Side Story by Oxford
Youth Music Theatre that I
saw last night.
If you aren’t familiar with this
tragic tale, you should know
that it’s loosely based on
Romeo and Juliet, only the
two rival gangs are in 50s
New York. There are the
less recent immigrants the
Jets (see photo)
defending their patch from
the latest incomers the
Sharks, from Puerto Rico. A Jet boy falls for a Shark girl, there is a
catastrophic fight in which things get out of hand and people get killed.
Misunderstandings and mixed messages spiral to a tragic finale.
The music is by Leonard Bernstein and it was originally conceived as a
modern ballet directed and choreographed by Jerome Robbins, which
explains why the dancing is so much part of the story. The ‘book’ was
written by Arthur Laurent and the lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and it is
packed with memorable numbers like ‘Tonight’, ‘Maria’ and ‘America’.
Maria, the ‘Juliet’ of this production, is played by a former Matthew Arnold
pupil, Nicola Trinder. She is outstandingly good. The depth and power of
her final scene had the audience in tears.
There were other stellar moments the riotous cast ensemble of ‘Officer
Krupke’, for instance, the thrilling duet in which Maria sings down stricken
Anita’s pain and grief, and persuades her that love must prevail.
There are weaknesses in the production, inevitably: these players are still
very young (ages range from 14 to 19) and are still learning. I prefer to
dwell on its strengths. There were many: the athletic and vigorous
dancing; the spot-on timing; the beautiful expressive singing that did
justice to those numbers I have loved since I was a child; the colourful
costumes; and the energy and enthusiasm of the youthful cast.
Quite a few of these were a credit to Matthew Arnold’s Drama
department. As well as Nicola Trinder, there was Ailis Young, memorable
as Anita, Alex Jacobs as Baby John, Finn Whelan as Chino and Laura
Stone, a feisty Anybodys.
I should have mentioned the band, but they were so good I took them
entirely for granted! Besides, they were invisible. It can’t have been easy
playing behind screens at the back of the stage, and it was certainly a
challenge for the cast to cram those fast, energetic dances into the
remaining space. Still, everybody managed the constraints triumphantly.
Let’s hope that next year they can play in a theatre that does them justice.
If it’s half as good as this year it will be worth seeing. I’m looking forward
to it very much.
Ag MacKeith
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Artweeks at the Pavilion
Don’t forget the Community Art Exhibition at the Louie Memorial Pavilion
on Saturday 19th and Sunday 20th May. Do you have a piece of artwork
we can hang this in the space? We can have 3D work as well, if you have
a piece of sculpture, knitting or a model to submit. The deadline has been
extended to Monday 30th April.
As we need to know what we have to fit, please let us know as soon as
possible. Contact Emmett or Catherine on 01865 427519 or
email emmettcasley@gmail.com There is no age limit to submitting
work. It is a non-selling exhibition, but please do include contact
information for visitors if you wish to.
If you don’t feel you can exhibit anything, then just come and have a
look. We are running a cafe to entice you in, open 115 on both days,
with all proceeds going to supporting the Pavilion. If you would rather
donate a cake or volunteer behind the scenes in the kitchen, that too
would be wonderful.
Just a very small team is running this event. Emmett has his own Art
Weeks exhibition this weekend (as do Ali & Jane Hogg - Venue 227, Mark
Clay Venue 227, Kate Hipkiss Venue 224, Lihua Yuan Venue 223)
so pop down to 5 Crabtree Road before or afterwards. As you can see,
Botley has more artists than ever exhibiting in this year’s Art Weeks.
Catherine Casley (Not entirely a cultural desert, then. Ed)
LOCAL PLANNING APPLICATIONS
P18/V0616/HH
26 Sweetmans Rd. Demolish rear
1-storey, porch and garage. Build 2-
storey extensions to flank and rear,
1-storey to rear, front porch, new
windows and add deck.
12 March
Target
Decision Date:
7 May
P18/V0640/HH
16 Chestnut Road. Two-storey
extension at the side of the house.
12 March
TDD: 7 May
P18/V0315/HH
23 Lime Road. Two-storey side
extension and loft conversion.
13 March
TDD: 9 May
P18/V0578/HH
33 Raleigh Park Rd. Amendment to
P17/V3103/HH. 1 flat roof dormer
replacing 2 single dormers. Flat roof
to 1-storey rear extension.
20 March
TDD: 15 May
P18/V0708/HH
18 Hazel Road. 2-storey side & rear
extension, with 1- storey at rear.
20 March
TDD: 15 May
P18/V0625/HH
37 Cedar Road. Single storey rear
extension.
22 March
TDD: 17 May
P18/V0686/LDP
9 Chestnut Road. Extension to rear
of property.
23 March
TDD: 18 May
P18/V0820/HH
106 West Way. Double garage to
bungalow under construction.
Planning apps P16/V1470/FUL +
P17/V2078/HH 3 spaces approved
to be replaced by double garage +
space in front.
6 April
TDD: 1 June
Comments by
2 May
P18/V0787/FUL
96 West Way .Erection of
apartment block of 6 apartments (4
x 2 bedroom and 2 x 1 bedroom).
10 April
TDD: 5 June
Neighbourhood Policing
Priorities: The main subject of concern on our area is burglaries. The
Neighbourhood Team has increased its patrols, provided crime
prevention advice and helped to set up ‘SmartWater streets’. We would
like to further appeal to residents to maintain their vigilance at this time
and call in any suspicious activity. SmartWater is a security marking
product and to find out more about it please visit www.smartwater.com
There has been an increase in workmen in the area going door to door
offering goods and services. While many of these are legitimate, the
current situation has caused tensions and further issues. If you do get
one of these visitors and you do not want what they are offering, please
just decline politely and close your door. If you believe that you are a
victim of a rogue trader, or are concerned that a neighbour or family
member may be, please report it to Trading Standards via 03454 04 05
06. If you feel threatened in anyway, call 999.
Witness appeals: Between the 2nd and 4th March, a shed was broken
into on Norreys Close in Cumnor. The offender forced entry and removed
tools. It is believed more sheds were broken into also as other items have
been found discarded in the area. On March 13th, a house on Eaton
Road, Appleton was burgled at 8pm. Offenders forced access via a
downstairs back window. Jewellery, car keys and other items were taken
On April 2nd between 6 and 9pm, a ground-floor window was forced
and a property was broken into on Hids Copse Road in Cumnor. Cash,
Jewellery and other personal items were taken.
Have Your Say Active Communities On 17th March PCSO Adi Wright
held a ‘Have your say’ meeting at Dean Court Community Centre,
concerns were raised regarding burglaries including sheds. There are a
number of crime prevention steps that can be taken, many of which can
be found online. However if you have particular concerns please come
along to the meetings detailed below, or contact us in the following
ways:via police non-emergency number 101 (dial 999 in an
emergency);via email abingdonouterNHPT@thamesvalley.pnn.police.uk.
(but don’t use this email to report crimes or other urgent matters). You
can find information on your neighbourhood team on the Thames Valley
Police website at: www.thamesvalley.police.uk. If you register at
www.thamesvalleyalert.co.uk you can get free local crime alerts and crime
prevention advice. Our Twitter feed is @TVPSouthandVale. The next HYS
session will be on 12th May 2018, 2pm 3pm at Dean Court Community
Centre, Pinnocks Way, Oxford.
Shopping Centre Update
Work on the temporary accommodation: Works on Grant Thornton
and Elms Court are continuing, to provide temporary accommodation for
Tesco, Co-op, Lloyds’ chemist, Seacourt Hall and the Baptist Church.
Mace expect that these will take up occupancy in June or July. Before
Tesco and Co-op can open, the new access from West Way to Chapel
Way (for deliveries only, not for general traffic) needs to be opened.
The through route, Chapel Way, from Elms Parade to Westminster Way
is expected to remain open during the temporary arrangements. Seacourt
Hall and the back end of Grant Thornton will be demolished and Chapel
Way re-aligned where these currently stand. The existing road will
become the access for the demolition and re-build of the West Way
shopping centre (Phase 1 of the development). The conditions on the
planning consents for both the temporary accommodation and the full
development will need to be discharged before this will happen.
It is disappointing that Mace’s contractors (in this case Maylarch), have
been parking on public roads and driving lorries along Eynsham Road,
which is contrary to their statements at the public exhibition and in their
construction traffic management plan. We are assured that they will now
comply with these conditions, which are in place to preserve the safety
and amenity of local people. In the event of further issues, the contact at
SDC (Mace’s main contractor) is by phone on 07920 847256.
Art work in West Way: If you visit West Way shops regularly you will
have seen that as well as art from Botley School children local street
artists have also been at work on the boarded up shops. This project is
run by Oxford Street Art Collective and features work by a number of well
known Oxford street artists.
Application for changes to the plans, ref P17/V3298/FUL: At the time
of writing, the application is expected to go to planning committee at the
end of May. This has been delayed again as there are still issues within
the plans which have to be resolved before going to committee.
As far as we are concerned, now that the plans show Church Way closed
off to general traffic, the main issue is the impact on Arthray Road and
other residential roads:
1 Car Park access: Around half of all vehicles visiting the
centre will come and go via Arthray Road, either from Westminster
Way, or from Hurst Rise Rd via Springfield Road and Hutchcomb Road.
The ramps linking the two levels of the car park were an important feature
in the approved plans. Their inclusion lent credibility to the notion that the
main access to the centre by car would be from Westminster Way. The
issues in the current proposals arise from the decision by Mace to remove
the ramps such that traffic to the upper deck has to come off Arthray
Road, since access from West Way via Church Way has been closed off.
No reason has been provided for it being necessary to dispense with the
ramps, our view is that this change to the plans should not be approved.
2 Delivery route changes: Arthray Road becomes the main
access to the centre by all HGVs: HGVs will be delivering to all three
foodstores, passing through the centre and unloading either in Church
Way pedestrian area, or in a lay-by on Westminster Way.
Arthray Road is completely unsuitable for the volume of traffic which
will result. Although NHPC have not objected to the current proposals, in
spite of the Arthray Road issues, Oxfordshire County Council's comments
have weight and have to be addressed.
There are other issues in the application, particularly relating to the
landscaping of the pedestrian areas. See more in our comment on the
application which can be seen at http://bit.ly/wwccmarch18.
Viability and delays: It has been said on a number of occasions that the
viability for this development is doubtful, in the sense of the developer
making the required profit. At the recent Community Liaison Group Mace
assured us that they do not intend to walk away, and would see the
project through to completion.
As we know, delays to projects cost money, but any delays so far have
been as a result of the proper planning processes which have to be
followed. This gives the public chance to comment on things that affect
our environment and community, and West Way Concern will continue to
do this, and support others who wish to do so. You can find out more via
westwayconcern.wordpress.com; facebook.com/westwayconcern; twitter
.com/westwayconcern; and westwayconcern@gmail.com
Mary Gill (chair of West Way Community Concern)
Randoms
Botley W.I.
This month we have had an excellent talk by Ian Jones, MBE on “Bomb
Disposal.” It was a gripping account of a lifetime’s work seeking to protect
us, leavened with some poignant moments and elements of dark humour.
For our next meeting (on May 1st at 7.30), we shall have advice from a
firefighter. The walking group will meet at WI Hall at 10 am on May 14th
to go to Harcourt Arboretum. At the craft evening at 7.30 on May 15th,
members will be decorating bags and making poppy wreaths. Book group
meets on 23rd May, and there will be a visit to Sudeley Castle on 6th
June; members £15; non-members £25. Come and join us!
Alison Jenner
Coming soon (with your help) Literary Botley
In a future Sprout, I’m planning on writing about some of our locals, past
and present, who have had books published. Please let me know of any
that you think I should mention, whether they have written fiction or non-
fiction. The author can be internationally famous, an academic or just
have had books published locally. As long as he or she has lived,
however briefly, in this parish they should be included. Is it true that
Desmond Morris, who wrote The Naked Ape in 1967 once lived here?
Matthew Arnold the School remembered: I’m also looking into the
possibility of having a display about Matthew Arnold School. Do you have
any old photos or reminiscences? Were you there the day the school
opened in 1958? Martin Harris
Botley Library
Children’s ‘Drop-in’ Craft activity Saturday 12th May 10.30am to 12.00.
Age from 4 upwards. All materials provided. Children must be
accompanied by an adult.
U3A talks
14 May Mark Davies. James Sadler, The first English Aeronaut.
Mark is a historian who lives on a barge in Oxford. His research is largely
about Oxford characters, stories, and places. ‘King of BalloonsJames
Sadler, defied constraints of his upbringing to build and fly a hot air
balloon in Oxford 1784. Subsequently he had a career as an engineer,
designer of armaments and a chemist in the Navy. He and his son set
numerous records while ballooning from some 40 towns in 40 years.
Despite his achievements he ended his days in Oxford in impoverished
obscurity dying in 1828.
11 June Mark Walsh. ‘Here’s a funny thing’.
A biographical talk on the life and times of the comedy legends George
Formby and Max Miller. Since his childhood, Mark’s idol has been the
‘one and only George Formby’ OBE. Well known singer and comedian in
1930s and 1940s, one of his best known songs being ‘with my little stick
of Brighton Rock. Max Miller known as ‘The Cheeky Chappie’ was widely
regarded as the greatest stand up comedian of his generation. Mark will
present a biographical talk with a flavour of these iconic entertainers.
Dean Court Community Association | Part Time Administrator
We're recruiting! 12 to 15 hours to suit the right applicant. We know we
need positivity, friendliness and amazing organisation skills, you tell us
what else you can bring to the role! Pay £8.75ph. Closing date 6th May
2018. E-mail jobs.deancourtcc@gmail.com for a job description and
application form… We look forward to hearing from you!
Anna Pearson
Christian Aid Week runs this year from 13th19th May
For more than 70 years, with the help of our supporters, Christian Aid has
been changing the lives of people, of all faiths and none, living in poverty
around the world. Please look out for the red envelopes coming through
your door to receive your donation. There will be a Christian Aid Big
Brekkie on Saturday 12th May 9.30am11.30am at St. Peter & St. Paul.
Come and enjoy breakfast for a good cause. On Monday 21st May
there’s a trip to Coventry Cathedral organized by St. Peter & St. Paul.
£20 per person. Contact Janet Budd on 01865 863682. Rev Clare Sykes
New club
Is anyone interested in joining a Cake/Sugarcraft Club if we were to start
one up? We would meet at a local venue about once month for 2 hours.
We’d book demonstrators to show us new skills, and have some hands-
on workshops etc. Meetings would be evenings or weekends as we
appreciate many people (myself included) work full-time. Even if you do
not actively make and decorate cakes but have an interest in learning
some techniques you would be welcome to come along. Contact me on
07340 646904 or AngelaArnol@aol.com if this sounds like you.
Angela Arnold
Organizations: If your organization is not listed here, please send details
to editor@thesprout.org.uk or telephone 724452 for inclusion.
1st Botley Brownies
Girls aged 7–10
Dean Court Community Centre Thur 6–7.30 Fiona
Wheeler, firstbotleybrownies@gmail.com
2nd Botley Brownies
Girls aged 7–10
Rosary Room, Yarnells Hill. Tues 6 -7.30 : Alison
Griffin 01865 379247
4th Oxford Scout Group
Beavers, Cub Scouts, Scouts
Scout Hall, Arnolds Way; mail@thefourth.org.uk
Website: http://www.thefourth.org.uk/
15th Oxford Scout Group
Boys and girls welcome
Meet Fridays, Botley Baptist Hall Contact: Julie Tatham
01865 863074 or Amy Cusden 07887 654386
Baby & Toddler Group
Tues/Thurs 9.15–11, SS Peter & Paul Church Hall
Badminton Club
Thurs 7-8pm at Matthew Arnold Sports Hall. Garry Clark
0777 3559 314 garryclark13@gmail.com
Books on Wheels R.V.S.
Free Library Service for housebound Ox. 248142
Botley Boys & Girls F.C.
Football teams from ages 8-16
Jason Barley Ox. 242926 jbarley1@ sky.com or Brendan
Byrne Ox.792531 brendan.byrne999@gmail.com
Botley Health Walks
Wednesday 9.30 a.m Contact: Briony 246497
Botley Library
01865 248142. Open till 7 on Friday and 1pm on Sat,
otherwise 9.30 to 5.30 (closed Wednesdays).
Botley Singers
Thur 7.30, St Andrew’s Church, Dean Court. Angela
Astley-Penny Ox.242189 angastpen@aol.com
Chair-based Exercise Class
Tuesdays 10.30 – 11.30 a.m. Seacourt Hall
Contact Lizzie, Oxon Age UK, 07785 425601
Community Fridge
For all. Put food in, take food out. Ss P&P church, Mon–
Sat 9–5, Sun 11–5. Riki Therivel 07759 135811
Cumnor Choral Society
Friday 7.30 to 9.30 pm Contact: 01235 533726 or
07552 786127 or www.cumnorchoral.co.uk
Cumnor Chess Club
Thurs 7–9pm Cumnor Old School. Steven Bennett
862788 www.cumnorchessclub.co.uk
Cumnor & District Historical
Society
Last Monday of the month 7.30-9.00 Cumnor Old
School. 01865 724808
Cumnor Gardening Club
Details on website at http://cumnorgardens.org.uk/ or
phone Chris Impey, 01865 721026
Fit Steps – exercise based
on dance
Friday 6–7pm, Seacourt Hall. Email Rosalie on
rosalie.crane@btinternet.com
Harmony InSpires, Ladies'
Acappella Singing Group
Wed 7.30 at Appleton village hall. C. Casson 01235
831352 or harmonyinspires@hotmail.co.uk
Hill End Volunteer Team
Contact: David Millin on david.millin@hill-end.org, call
01865-863510 or visit www.hillend-oec.co.uk
Let’s Sing! – singing group
Weds 2pm, WOCC, details Emily 07969 522368
or email emformusic@outlook.com
Morris Dancing – Cry Havoc
Barbara Brett 249599 or bag@cryhavoc.org.uk
Mum and Baby Yoga for
babies from 6 wks to crawling
Mondays 10.30 at Dean Court CC, contact Jacqueline
Rice via https://yogawithjacqueline.co.uk
North Hinksey Preschool
and Childcare Clubs
MonFri 7.45am 6.00 pm. 01865 794287 or email
nhps.manager1@gmail.com
N Hinksey Art Group
Weds 10 – 12.00 W.I. Hall Tel: Christina 07931 707997
N Hinksey Bellringers
Contact: Ray Rook 01865 241451
N Hinksey Conservation
Volunteers
Meets at weekends. Contact Voirrey Carr
07798743121 voirreyc@aol.com
N Hinksey, Friends of
Annual Cricket Match & Walk. Douglas Bond 791213.
N Hinksey Horticultural Soc
Contact: Ann Dykes Ox 251821 anndykes@hotmail.com
N Hinksey Parish Council
Alan Stone 01865 861992 nhpcclerk@msn.com
N Hinksey Youth Club
Wednesdays at Arnold's Way pavilion, call Daz on
07791 212866 or see Facebook
Over Sixties Lunch Club
Every other Thursday. Seacourt Hall. Viv Smith 01865
241539 or Jackie Warner 01865 721386
Oxford Flood Alliance
R Thurston 01865 723663 or 07973 292035
Oxford Flower Arranging Club
4th Thursday Cumnor. Dympna Walker: 01865 865259
Oxford Otters
Swimming for people with disabilities. Sundays, twice
monthly. Contact: Alan Cusden 723420
Oxford Rugby Club
Boys and girls from 5, kevin.honner@ntlworld.com
Seniors, training etc jbrodley@chandlings.org.uk.
Oxford Sports Lawn Tennis
Club, N Hinksey
Family club: Melanie Riste 848658 or
melanie_riste@hotmail.com
Parkinson’s Disease Soc
Contact: Pen Keyte, Branch Secretary 01865 556032.
Raleigh Park, Friends of
David Brown raleighpark@raleighpark.org.uk
Royal Voluntary Service
(West Way Day Centre)
Mon & Fri 10–3pm, Field House, 07740 611971.
oxfordshirehub@royalvoluntaryservice.org.uk
Saturdads
Botley Bridges
Fun activities and trips for Dads and under 5’s
10 am–noon 1st Sat of month. Tel: 243955
Seacourt Hall management
committee
Contact: Michael Cockman 07766 317691
michael.cockman@gmail.com.
Shotokan Karate club
6+ WOCC twice weekly Martyn King 07836 646450
Weight Watchers
Thursdays 6pm at SS Peter & Paul Church Hall Banso
tel: 07779 253899 bansob@aol.com
West Oxford Bowls Club
Contact: Marion Bostock 436277
West Oxford Taekwon Do
Club
Mon, Thurs 6.30-8pm, MA gym, contact Chris Hall
07815 899698 www.wotkd.co.uk
West Oxford U3A
(Uni of the 3rd Age) http://westoxfordu3a.org.uk/
Which Craft?
Pavilion, Arnold’s way, fourth Monday, contact
whichcraft.botley@yahoo.co.uk
Womens Institute (Botley)
Liz Manson, 244175 email liz.manson@virginmedia.com